Category: Seafood

The anchovy can be a polarizing subject, but for those of us who love them it is with unparalleled enthusiasm and fervor! No other single ingredient can do more to elevate a dish. As those lucky eaters who have tasted great anchovies know, these tiny little fish are the key to a whole world of flavor.

And so, it is with great excitement we announce the return of our hand-packed, imported Italian anchovies. Written up by Florence Fabricant in the Dining section of The New York Times for their rich meaty fillets, these anchovies are truly “For connoisseurs of very small fish”.

Caught in the Mediterranean, the anchovies are brought back to Bra, Italy where they are packed in salt and allowed to cure for two full weeks. After being cured the anchovies are rinsed, filleted, and hand-packed in extra virgin olive oil.

Christopher Nicolson, of Iliamna Fish Co., was raised in a fishing community just like generations of his family before him. I had the opportunity to sit down with Christopher and chat about fishing and his favorite ways to eat smoked salmon.

Over the years we have been lucky enough to partner with the hard working fishermen of Bristol Bay, Alaska. They spend every summer working their nets to bring us delicious, sustainably harvested salmon….

We are so proud that our anchovies got a mention in Florence Fabricant’s article in the New York Dining section today! Florence Fabricant Loves our Anchovies and we know you will too. We have olive oil and garlic with parsley.

To Savor: For Connoisseurs of Very Small Fish

Those of us who like our anchovies rich and meaty are often disappointed by the ones sold at many supermarkets; while flavorful, they often tend to be flimsy or skimpy. Carlo Petrini, the founder of Slow Food, is an anchovy aficionado who likes his from Italy, hand-packed in olive oil. These are available for the next few weeks, either plain or seasoned with garlic and parsley: I Sapori del Mare anchovies are $22 for a six-ounce jar from (718) 389-0985 or heritagefoodsusa.com.

Last year we received a small amount of anchovies from our friend Gianluca Di Liberto in Bra, Italy. Everyone in our office and the lucky customers who were able to get a bottle before they sold out fell in love with these meaty, delicious fillets.

We feel confident claiming that these are the best anchovies we have ever tasted.
Why? Because they are made with the finest ingredients and skill – each step in their production is carefully done by hand.

Here is more from Gianluca himself:

“What makes these anchovies special is that they are more fleshy,
slightly salty, and processed by hand. Compared to the anchovies from
supermarkets, they are bigger and fuller, handmade, and have a lower
salt content. Individual care goes into ensuring a wonderful eating
experience.”

Process

“The anchovies are caught and sent to our facilities near Sciacca and
Bagheria in Sicily. Fresh anchovies are gutted and cleaned then placed
in salt – a layer of anchovies and a layer of salt, over and over
until they fill a 25 kg drum. For at least eight weeks, the weight of
the stacking crushes the anchovies and causes them to lose liquid
while the salt ripens them.”

Ingredients

“The spices and oils we use come from the best regions in Italy. Our
parsley, garlic, and chives are HACCP certified for their safety and
quality. The extra virgin olive oil we use is produced in Umbria near
Perugia, and is world famous for its slightly bitter flavor that goes
perfectly with our anchovy fillets.”

Company History

“Sea Lab was founded three years ago to continue the tradition the
company Taste of the Sea began in the seventies. Taste of the Sea took
its name from the fish market Rosario Di Liberto owned where workers
began experimenting and accidentally discovered our anchovy making
technique. Soon this led to an established business with high quality
packaged products. Sea Lab continues this work begun by Taste of the Sea, offering the
same quality of products that are unavailable at retail stores.”

We know you will love them as much as we do. They blow all other anchovies out of the water!

Of the various ways salmon can be cooked, this one is simple and strikingly good. The salmon is baked in a very slow, humidified oven, which yields a moist, tender, velvet-textured fish. When it is served at room temperature with fennel and fava beans, or tomatoes and green beans, or beets and garden lettuces, we find it has versatility and appeal the entire season. And since it holds well for a few hours, it’s also perfect for a picnic or buffet.

PREHEAT the oven to 200°E Place a pan of warm water on the lowest rack in the oven. This creates a humid environment that helps keep the salmon moist.

Lightly brush a baking pan with olive oil. Brush the salmon with olive oil and season generously with salt and freshly ground pepper. Place the salmon in the baking dish and put it in the oven. Allow about i hour for the salmon to cook through. If it seems to be cooking too fast, turn the oven down a bit. The salmon is cooked when it is just barely firm to the touch and juices are beginning to collect on top of the fillet. Let it rest at least 10 minutes, or up to 3 hours, at room temperature.

Meanwhile, get to work on the Meyer Lemon Relish. Put the diced shallot in a small bowl. Add the vinegar and a pinch of salt. Macerate for 10 to 15 minutes. Cut the lemon into 8 wedges. Remove the seeds and central core from each piece, then cut each wedge in half lengthwise. Slice the wedges crosswise into thin slivers. You will have about ½ cup. Combine the slivered lemon and shallot and add a little more salt. Stir in the olive oil, parsley, chervil, and some freshly milled pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Here at Heritage Foods USA, we are luck enough to work closely with Heritage Radio Network. Both organizations were founded by Patrick Martins and both share the philosophy of promoting a healthy and sustainable food system and celebrating food culture. Part of this blog will feature stories from Heritage Radio Network reporting on issues, foods, farmers, and events.

Our first feature comes from an April episode of the Community Session featuring Christopher Nicolson of the Iliamna Fish Company talking about mining, fishing, and conservation in Bristol Bay in Alaska.

From HRN:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is set to release the second draft detailing the environmental effects of a copper mine planned to be constructed in Bristol Bay, Alaska. In this HRN Community Session, Nathaniel Coburn sits down with Christopher Nicolson, vitner at Red Hook Winery, and Sockeye Salmon fisherman up in Bristol Bay. Find out how byproducts of mining, such as roadways, settling ponds, and heavy metals will endanger not only the Sockeye population, but the native bird populations and other fish species. How do indigenous Alaskan people feel about the potential of a mine coming to their homeland? Learn how consumers can vote with their fork concerning this environmental threat.

The Iliamna Fish Company is a hardworking crew of native Alaskan fishermen who spend their summer months touring the fishery located deep within Bristol Bay, Alaska in search of fresh sockeye salmon.

Heritage Foods USA is proud to be working with the Iliamna Fish Company, a family of 25 immediate and extended relatives that has been fishing the pristine Pacific Northwest waters since 1948. Three of the fishing families live in Alaska full time while the rest spends winters all across the United States. Every June and July all the fishermen dutifully return to the healthy Bristol Bay waters where they spend many days on the boat waiting for the influx of salmon that helps sustain the community during the long off-season.

The sockeye salmon come from the deepest part of Bristol Bay, Alaska known as Nakneck. The rich flesh of these fish is a deep scarlet to persimmon red color and imparts a slightly sweet taste, a characteristic that can be attributed to the salmon’s journey from salt to fresh water.

Iliamna Fish Company has built the fishery on responsible marine practices and sustainable harvesting techniques. The fishery is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council thanks to a strong commitment from the fishermen to protect and promote the natural resources that preserve their livelihood.

The only way they fish is by setting nets, which are a lot like a sheet hanging on a clothesline floating in the wind. Part of the sheet floats on top while the remainder is anchored at the bottom and drifts with the current. The tide creates a basket that collects the fish, a spectacle often referred to as a “wall of salmon” that swims in the shallow water where the Iliamna fishermen waiting for the catch in their four-foot deep, twenty-foot long boats, carefully pull the net up and gently retrieve the sockeye. Each salmon is then bled by hand and submerged in a 33°F ice bath before it is brought to shore. Within six hours the fish are cleaned, inspected, packed and ready to be shipped to home chefs and restaurants all around the United States.